Duelist, Thief, Detective
by Mari Lace
Summary: There's another mysterious threat in Domino City. Atem is ready to take care of it, but will he be able to? What will he do when he wakes up in Tokyo, a city he doesn't know at all? And how will a shrunken detective and a certain thief play out in all this? [That's set before the Pharaoh's memories saga, but they know his real name.]
1. An unknown card

«There's nothing to do, I can't just focus!» blurted an exhasperated Anzu, sitting at her desk trying, in vain, to do her homework. She put the pen away and stood up.

She had tried to send away the restlessness all day long, but she couldn't. She went to the window. It was evening now, the sun had left an hour ago.

While her glare flew on Domino City's roofs, her thoughts went to Yugi. They hadn't ever left him, actually. The reason to her restlessness was exactly him.

He was seeking for a new, dangerous criminal since three months now. She didn't know in detail, but she had heard from Jonouchi they had found a trace just the day before.

She wanted to be of some use, but Yugi – the Pharaoh, actually – had declared it was a personal question and he had to take care of it on his own. He had asked his friends to trust him. He had her particularly to promise she wouldn't worry.

" _«Trust me, Anzu. I'll take care of this threat and everything will go back to how it was._ _You know me now, don't you? Don't worry.»"_

And she trusted him, really. She had seen him face endless threats in the past few years, each time a more dark and powerful one, and he always won. She didn't doubt he could face this one too, yet…

… _yet there was something different this time._ She didn't know what it was, there wasn't logic behind her thought; it was just… a feeling.

Anzu would have called herself stupid, had it been a normal situation.

But after living countless adventures beside a Pharaoh whose soul was sealed 5000 years before, after she had testified the power of shadows, she couldn't just ignore her forebodings.

She took her coat and left. Luckily her parents weren't home that week, she didn't feel like making up excuses.

Knowing Atem would probably be mad at her, she got herself into Domino's streets, searching for him. She was about to call Jonouchi, when a strange, dark vortex appeared in the sky.

It was crazy near Yugi's uncle's Games Shop.

Anzu rushed, hoping it wasn't too late.

«I equip Dark Magician with his _Black Magic Book_ , so he gains 500atk points! Then I set a covered card and finish my turn».

«Is that all you got, Pharaoh _?_ »

They were in the street right next to the Games Shop. Yugi had let _his other self_ take over to face the shadow they chased those past months.

That shadow, now standing right in front of them, just on the other side of the duel field, was a man. He was wearing a black cape, so it wasn't possible to exactly grasp his body size, and a mask figuring a raven. They deduced he was a man just from his voice, admitting he wasn't faking it.

The two Yugis didn't know what his precise purpose was, but they knew he needed three manufacts in order to accomplish it.

He had stolen one of them three from an Egyptian museum three months before, it was an emerald that, exposed to the moonlight, shone revealing another gem on the inside.

They didn't know what the other two objects were, but the man had revealed one that same evening. In fact, he challenged them betting their Millenium's Puzzle. _Obviously losing it wasn't an option._

Atem couldn't see his enemy's face, but to imagine his contemptuous grin was easy, even too much, basing on his tone. He could understand him, his monsters were powerful enough.

 _But he doesn't believe in the Cards' Heart like I do. My_ friends _will never betray me. 'cause this are my cards for me:_ friends _, not_ monsters.

«If that's your game, I surely won't spare you» the enemy said. «My Octopus could erase your weak mage on its own, but I want to annichilate you completely» he declared, proceeding in activating a Ritual Card, that allowed him to sacrifice his Octopus to summon another monster, whatever level it was, as long as he had it in his hand. «I introduce you to _Lord Raven_ _Renya_ , Pharaoh. His 5000 atk points will destroy your mage, with a difference of 2000 life points. Unfortunately, that's all you have left».

Atem didn't react, staying silent.

«You're not giving up your _poker face_? Good, do that. Attack, _Lord Raven Renya!_ Destroy his mage!» _And when you do, I'll finally get Pharaoh's soul. Then I'll just have to follow the old parchment instructions and blend it to Pandora… No one will be able to even think of stopping me then!_

Absorbed in his greatness' dreams, the man didn't even notice the smirk on the boy's face. «It won't be that easy. Activate Trap: _Dark Allegiance!_ »

«What do you think you're doing? Your silly trap won't stop my assault!»

«Believe what you want. When my Dark Magician is under attack, this trap allows me to summon a compatible card from my deck, and I choose Dark Magician Girl!»

The young mage appeared on the field, smiling to her Master.

«Then my mages blend their attack points, plus a 500ap bonus given from the trap, reaching 5500 Attack Points! Your raven can do nothing to stop them!» claimed Atem with a winning smile.

This enemy was defeated too. That _Lord Raven Renya_ , a card he'd never seen before, seemed to be the man's winning card; once it was destroyed, he doubted he had other seriously dangerous cards inside his deck. Actually even if he did, he would have just destroy them as well, thanks to his bond with his cards. He had victory in his pocket.

He watched the man on the other side. It was hard to say because of the mask, but he seemed to be boiling angry.

«You're going to repent that, Pharaoh».

It was almost a hiss, he barely heard it. Soon after, he felt the dark energy around them intensify. He looked up, and saw a black vortex forming.

What was happening?

Coldly calm now, the man drew. « I was hoping catching you would be easier, but you're a real nuisance. You left me with no other choice» he said.

For some reason, Atem trembled. The dark energy kept growing stronger.

The man summoned a card. The two Yugis were expecting a monster, but it was a Magic Card. They'd never seen it before. It looked like Mistical Space Typhoon, but was purplish red. «What..?»

«You're far too powerful here, I underestimated you. I'll bring you where you're in my power, then!» the man announced with a creepy laugh.

«Activate now, Other Dimension!»

The purplish vortex started to grow bigger. Meanwhile Atem was thinking. _Other Dimension? What is he doing? He wants to bring me "where I'm in his power"? Does he mean Shadows' Reign?_

He hurriedly checked his hand, but he had no useful magic to stop that card. _What's going to happen to my magicians?_

Finally the vortex stopped growing. Just to start moving. Straight into Atem's field.

Leaving Atem and Yugi in utter surprise, that thing passed through the magicians, leaving them unharmed. It didn't stop though. It reached the Duelist and swallowed him.

Finding himself in a strange reddish place, the Pharaoh had to fight in order to not lose consciusness. It was hard, he heard countless rumors surrounding him, sounds he couldn't understand…

Then a voice.

If he had managed to keep a bit of his cool, now he lost it.

«Yugi! Atem!»

He knew that voice all too well, wouldn't miss it among thousands similar.

 _Anzu._

 _Beep, beep._

A sleepy boy senti hand searching for his telephone and set the alarm off.

It took him a few seconds to realize _he didn't have an alarm on his phone._

It wasn't just that; the cellular on his desk wasn't the one beepping.

Growing more and more surprised, the child known as Edogawa Conan took his papillon/vocal changer and grabbed his other phone. It was lucky Kogoro had an heavy sleep.

The calling number was unknown. _Stranger yet._ Whoever was calling him must've been in an urge to speak with him anyway, because the phone kept sounding all the time it took to close himself in the bathroom and set the voice-changer on Shinichi's voice. «Hello?» he murmured, hoping to not wake Ran up.

«What took you so long, Tantei-san?!»

That was the ending hit to Shinichi. «Kid?! How do you know this number?»

«I got no time for such foolishness, meitantei» Kid answered hurriedly, though immediately adding «it wasn't a big deal anyway». It was easy to figure the grin on the Phantom Thief's face, though there was something in his voice. Had he not known him, he would have thought he was… Worried? _Hard to believe._

«I was wandering around Haido last night» the thief started telling. He got all of the shrunken detective's attention. «Suddenly something… uhm, _strange_ , happened. Can you think of how I make things appear from nowhere?»

«When you _pretend_ to, you mean?» Conan said. Detective instinct. «It's always a pleasure to uncover your tricks». Meanwhile he had put the papillon away, pretending with Kid wasn't worth it. He didn't know how, but the thief knew about his true identity all too well.

«Yeah, well… Last night someone appeared out of nowhere _for real_. No trick. On a roof near to my position, just so, one moment he wasn't there, the following he did».

The child raised an eye-brow. «You had a realistic dream and called me just for that?» he asked in a sceptical tone. He surely was more open-minded now to sci-fi and so on – I mean, he was a seventeen years old guy in a child's body because of a damn _pill_ –, but there was a limit. What did Kid want him to think, the man used an invisibility cape? Please.

«I _wasn't_ dreaming. It was a strange man, with a raven mask. Very creepy, if you ask me. By the way, he didn't notice me, so I got closer to grasp something. At first I thought there was a trick too, like an ridde manhole or something».

«You didn't find it though, so you're asking me?» Shinichi was surprised. Kaito Kid was asking his help on a case? Unreal.

«No» was the thief's answer. He was losing his patience. «There wasn't a trick, I'm telling you – but that's not the point. That man made a call. He told someone to find and bring him a guy…»

 _A kidnapper?_

«…and this someone he called answers the name of _Gin_ , if I didn't heard wrong» he added.

«I thought that'd take your interest, since the man who always blew me up while I was acting like your little friend calls himself _Bourbon_ , and he called me Sherry. Really, tantei-san, I don't know who those alcool-guys are, but I didn't like raven-man's tone one bit. I've been searching for the guy for hours now».

Shinichi realised he was trembling. _Gin._ Moreover, the man who gave the order wore a raven mask… He remembered all too well the words Akemi whispered right before dying.

" _«They always dress black, resembling ravens…»"_

Was it possible that..?!

«Where is that man now?!» he almost shouted to the phone. He damned himself mentally remembering that Ran – and Kogoro too – were pretty near.

«Meitantei?»

«The masked man! That who, says you, appeared from nowhere! Where is he now?!» he asked again, agitated.

«No idea» was the thief's flat answer. «Did you listen or where you pretending, Tantei-san? I'm telling you there is someone in danger somewhere in the city and you're asking about the man?»

«How could you let him leave!» Shinichi blurted. Kid was right, they had to find that guy those assasins were looking for, but if that man was really the Organization's boss… To think the white magician had been so close to him…

Conan couldn't know, but on the other side of the city, Kaito grimaced. «That man had a strange aura around him» he said. «Anyway what could have I done, with my ThrowCards gun? I'm relatively sure he was armed, and even if admitting this it's irritating, he would have probably had the upper hand. All the more if he can appear like that. I'm lucky he didn't notice me» he finished, irritated. Justifying his own actions was his last thought right now.

He wasn't doing all that _just_ because someone was in danger, or because the sight of that men had sent chills down his spine. That man dressed black and wore a raven mask.

 _Black, and an animal._ It didn't seem so air-founded that he was linked to the men who killed his father, Kuroba Toichi.

This was the reason Kaito had put his pride aside this once and called Kudo Shinichi, his rival. He didn't know all the details, but he was linked to a similar organization too. An ally could turn in handy in that situation.

«All right. But how do we find that guy they're searching for? I need some hints», said Conan, after he went back to being lucid. The thief was right, he couldn't afford to lose his cool this moment.

«The man described him this way: about seventeen years old, black hair ending purple, kind of star-shaped. He also got a blonde fringe, you could say he doesn't exactly go unseen. He also said he should be disoriented, somewhere in the city».

Conan was silent for a bit, taking the informations in. «That's not what I was expecting at all, but thank you, Kid. It shouldn't be too hard to find. I just hope he's not in Gin's hands already».

«If you hope so, go out and join the hunt, Tantei-san» Kaito commented, then turned the call off.

Conan stopped, eyeing the phone.

That thief always succeeded at irritating him, even when asking for an allegiance – because that was the meaning of that call, right? They were allies now.


	2. Where?

*please note: **bold sentences** means the character's speaking in English (normally they use Japanese, of course)*

His eyes hurt. He tried to open them, but he had to immediately shut them again with a grief grimace. The light was blinding. He fingered around trying to stand up, he managed to sit with his back against, he guessed, some house's wall.  
Shielding his eyes with his hand, he tried again, more slowly. His head was pulsing.  
 _Just what..?_  
When he got used to the light, Atem managed to stand up, still leaning on the wall. What he saw surprised him.  
He couldn't recognize anything of what surrounded him.  
That place wasn't at all like Domino City, not even near, nor like any of the many places he'd been to during the last few years. He couldn't explain it, but it gave him a totally different feeling, as if the world had reversed.  
It wasn't the first time it happened; he had felt the same sense of non-belonging when Yugi had completed the puzzle, waking him up from his sleep.  
 _Wouldn't it be I travelled time again..?_ he wondered with worry.  
The prior evening's memories came back to his thoughts, and the worries related to that weird place slipped to second place. _I must find Anzu…_ He was sure he heard the girl's voice before vanishing, and he was terrified thinking she could be in his enemy's hands.  
But how could he find her? There wasn't any trace.  
He glared down to his Puzzle to gain some comfort.  
Except the opposite happened: the Pharaoh fell deeper in desperation, realizing the reversed pyramid _wasn't_ pending from his neck.  
It was just thanks to a huge effort of will that he didn't panic while he desperately tried to contact Yugi inside his head.  
No one answered.

«I see. Thanks anyway, inspector Takagi. If something comes up, please let me know..! It's crucial!»  
After that last advice, Shinichi hang up without giving the poor policeman even the time of answering.  
That night no suspicious person had been reported. There had been a few thefts, but the culprits had already been caught and their descriptions didn't match with the one Kid gave him.  
It couldn't work this way. He had just finished to check Haido Park, but they really had too little elements to base the research on. Looking for a 17 years old guy around Tokyo knowing just his looks was similar to looking for a needle in a haystack, it didn't matter how peculiar his hair were.  
According to the thief's information the guy wasn't from Tokyo, anyway, since he was "disoriented". This lead him to think he could hide in a park, but it was a gamble. That guy could have been everywhere.  
He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. He couldn't do it alone, not like this.  
He took out Shinichi's phone and was amazed to see he had two lost calls.  
Both from Haibara.  
He immediately called her back.  
«May I know where were you?» Ai's glacial tone suggested she was irritated, but there was something else. The detective thought he felt worry in her voice. He hoped to be wrong, because last thing he needed right now was another problem.  
«The Doctor found someone this morning» Ai said. «In front of your house. He was barely standing up, he's still pretty weak. Doctor Agasa took him here and he's sleeping on the sofa now» the girl paused. «He doesn't seem to be _one of them_ , Kudo, but he's suspicious. What was he doing there? Plus his hair are just _absurd_.»  
Shinichi couldn't believe his ears. Absurd hair..? Could it really be him?  
Ai lost patience. Half minute of conversation and the boy hadn't still spoken up. «Cat got your tongue?» she asked sour. «Deign to be here, when you get your voice back. Or is it too much to ask?»  
«I'll be right there» was the simple answer. Shinichi hang up and jumped on his skate, going towards Beika as fast as possible. Did he really find him?

 _\- Ueno Park (Tokyo) -_

Yugi woke up pretty confused. He was between two bushes, and he couldn't remember how he ended up there at all. His head was pulsing.  
He glared around, disoriented. There was a bench near his spot. Sun's light was filtrated by trees all around him. It was a park, probably.  
Which one, though? It wasn't familiar. He woke up slowly, leaning on the bench. His headache didn't feel like it'd vanish any time soon. He couldn't reason that way.  
He sat on the bench.  
Last thing he could remember was… the fight. He had let Atem take care of it.  
Then the purplish vortex.  
Being sucked in that had been horrible, Yugi had felt himself _breaking_. But watching his body now it seemed to be unharmed. Was it just a feeling?  
He stayed motionless on that bench for a while. He couldn't say how long.  
He just knew his headache was finally fading. Then two things happened.  
First, he realised he had _not_ the Puzzle around his neck, and he didn't feel Pharaoh's presence inside him at all since he had woken up.  
Secondly, he heard a voice. Someone was talking to him. He forced himself to focus on the surroundings. A little girl was calling him.  
«Oniisan? Oniisan! Are you alright?»  
It took Yugi some time to understand. The child spoke Japanese, but she had a weird accent. He'd never heard it before. It could be an hint on where that place was.  
He tried to speak, but his throat was so dry, it hurt. He just nodded.  
That was when he realized there were more people around them, many of which gave him curious or compassionate looks.  
He probably had a puny aspect.  
The girl smiled. «Why are you all alone?»  
«Mari!» the sudden scream of a woman distracted Yugi, making him search for her out of instinct. It wasn't hard, because the woman came and took the child's arm. She cross-eyed the guy. «How many times did I tell you you must not talk to unknown people?» she scolded, bringing the child away.  
When he couldn't see them anymore, Yugi stood up. He didn't know where he was, but he needed to move. He had to find his puzzle, so he could find the Pharaoh. His only trace for now was the raven-masked man, maybe if he found him he'd gain some answers.  
He took a random direction, hoping it lead him to the exit.  
He had made just few steps when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He stopped and faced the hand's owner.  
It was a young lady. From the way she looked at him it seemed she wanted to print his face in her mind. She was wearing a uniform – she had to be a policewoman.  
Straining his hurting throat, Yugi spoke. «May I help you, officer?»  
Hearing him speak, the woman smiled. For some reason Yugi felt a thrill down his spine.  
 **«Yes, you probably can, boy»**  
The police officer shove what seemed like a badge right in front of his face. The boy tried to read it, but some gas came out of it.  
He inhaled it and lost conscience almost immediately, falling right into the woman's arms.  
Some passers stopped, slightly worried, but the woman with the uniform reassured them in Japanese. The boy just had a sugar's drop, she said, and she would personally bring him to the hospital.  
With their conscience now assured, the passers lost interest and went their way, not noticing the supposed police officer entered along with the boy in a black Porsche waiting for them just outside the Park, and that the car's direction was the total opposite of that to the hospital.

The Pharaoh woke up with a jolt. He vaguely remembered he met a man who had kindly offered his help. He had said he was a doctor. He looked sincere, so Atem had followed him inside the man's house. He'd prefer to manage this alone, but how could he, if he didn't even know where he was? Plus he was weak, too weak. Accepting that man's help he planned to recover the forces and, perhaps, to obtain some useful information.  
Once inside the man had made some tea. After, he could just recall his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier… he must've fallen asleep on the sofa.  
While he was unconscious, he had relived the prior evening's battle. The raven-man's words kept resounding in his head even now he was awake.  
 _"«I'll bring you where you're in my power!»"_  
«Oi, can you hear me?»  
A child's voice brought him back to reality. He hadn't even noticed he was there.  
He was probably around seven years old, Atem guessed, looking at him.  
He had too, like the old man who helped him, a weird accent.  
«Where am I?» Atem asked straight up. That was his first worry.  
He wasn't that sure he could trust them – his sudden sleep was suspicious; did they put something in his tea? – but, besides the fact he had not much of a choice, the fact they didn't tie him up made him hope well.  
«In Tokyo, Japan» the child answered. He was glaring at the boy on the sofa with curiosity, and didn't seem very surprised from that question. «Who are you, oniichan?»  
 _Tokyo?_  
Atem got up and sat. «How far is it from Domino?» asked again, ignoring the child's answer.  
Now the child was a bit more surprised, or at least confused. «Domino?» he repeated, unsure.  
«Yes, Domino City. Don't you know it?»  
It was strange, Domino was a pretty famous city. It was practically the Capital of Duellists.  
A terrifying suspicion ran his mind. Maybe his confusion had to do with something that happened in Domino?  
«Never heard of it, oniichan. Is that where you're from? Is that why you have a strange accent?» Conan inquired.  
That guy had the very same hair Kaito Kid described, something he wasn't sure would've been possible. The spikes seemed to keep the shape thanks to some magic, they didn't lose it even while he was sleeping. He seemed foreign, basing on his looks, but he spoke Japanese without a problem. The only weird thing was his pronunciation.  
Whoever it was, there wasn't a doubt the men in black were looking just for him.  
I mean, how many chances are there not one but _two_ guys would have that haircut?  
Shinichi, who had never stopped looking at the strange guy's face, caught a shock flash in his eyes. It didn't last long.  
«What year are we in?» Atem asked, hoping to be wrong. If he had ended in another timeline Yugi, Anzu and the Puzzle could have been literally everywhere – and every time, for all that he knew. He couldn't think about it.  
«20**» Conan answered. If that question had surprised him it didn't show.  
 _That guy makes me curious every word he says,_ the detective thought, a sparkle in his gaze.  
 _The year is the same. But then..?_ Atem felt relief and confusion at the same time.  
They both stayed silent for a while, then the Pharaoh stood up. «I must find my friends», he said.  
That time Conan's eyes widened. «Your..? Is there someone else then?»  
«Yes, I think so at least» the millenary spirit answered hastily. He had lost too much time already, now that he knew for sure he was in his own timeline – even if the non-belonging feeling was still there – he was more optimistic about finding Yugi and Anzu. He brought his hand in his pocket, and realized with relief that his deck was in place. He wasn't alone.  
Seeing his eyes filled with determination, Shinichi raised an eye-brow. «You can't go out, oniichan» he exclaimed, facing him. «They're looking for you outside. It's dangerous».  
 _And I still don't know who you are and_ _why_ _they're searching for you_ , he thought. Shinichi hated to not know something. He wouldn't let him go before hearing a satisfying explanation and having a good strategy planned out.  
If he was right about the man with the raven mask's identity, maybe the chance to Check Mate the Organization had come.  
Atem doubtfully glared him. There was something out of tune in that child, but he didn't grasp what yet.  
«They're looking for me?» he repeated. «Do you know who I am, then?»  
The detective took out Conan's most innocent smile.  
«That's not quite right. It's a complicated story» he said, taking Atem's hand and making him sit again on the sofa. «Now listen closely».  
That child definitely gave him the chills.

 _Nothing I can do_ , a downhearted Kaito thought. He reconnoitred nearly all the city, and it surely hadn't been an easy task. To search for a guy he didn't even know he had even ignored Aoko's calls. It was deep in the afternoon now, the sun was setting.  
Soon he would be in his alter ego's favourite element, the night.  
But as much as he tried, finding someone in a city with more than fifteen millions people was nearly impossible, you had to be seriously lucky.  
He decided to stop at home first. Then, before going out again, he'd call Kudo. The more time passed, the more possibility the guy had been found from the men in black.  
«I don't know any city of the kind! Stop wasting my time, young lady!»  
That sudden scream took him out of his thoughts. The complaint had been from a middle-aged woman. She was probably just back from the shopping, in fact she was bringing two filled envelopes.  
The nagging was directed to a girl the same height of Aoko, more or less, same-coloured hair, but shorter. She had probably taken it bad, because Kaito caught an hesitant expression on her face. The woman turned her back and went her way.  
Emergency state or not, Kaito couldn't just ignore her.  
«May I help you?» he asked, then made a white rose appear out of her left ear. «Miss?» he added, showing his most friendly smile.  
The girl glared alternately at him and at the flower, in confusion.  
«Do you know Domino City?» she asked then, her eyes filled with determination.  
Kaito made the rose vanish again, took off-guard. She seemed desperate before, but now he was reconsidering that.  
«Never heard of it» he answered, almost sorry.  
The girl shook his head. «That's not possible», she said. Fixing her glare into the magician's, «Someone _must_ know of it!» she claimed firm.  
The theft was reminded of Aoko claiming her father would unmask Kid.

 **Author's note**

Hi guys! Thank you if you added this to your favourites/followed!

Please leave me a comment, I'd like to know what are your thoughts on the story so far.

P.S.

English isn't my first language, so if you find any mistake let me know and I'll fix it. Thank you.


	3. Truth & Theories

Kaito smiled. «You're pretty determined. That place must really matter to you».

The girl shook her head. «It's not the place», she said. «I must find my friends».

Hearing that Kaito came to himself. He, too, had something to find, he couldn't ramble with that girl. He was sorry, though. «I see. Your friends are lucky» he said. With a fleet move of his waist he made appear the rose again. «I wish you luck, miss».

She glared at the flower for a bit, she seemed doubtful accepting it or not. She finally took it.

«My name's Anzu» she said. «Is that rose your way of saying good-bye?»

Kaito thought her voice was trembling, but he wasn't really sure: her weird accent made it difficult to decipher the tone.

Looking at her more carefully, he noticed she was holding the rose with too much strength.

Her determination had distracted him: she was still just a girl alone in a city that, it appeared, she didn't know. It'd be normal if she was scared.

Still he had to go. While he was chatting with _Anzu_ , one guy somewhere in the city was risking his life.

His gaze went on her hair. They were pretty normal, not like those he was looking for. She seemed so lost though… now that he watched more closely, he noticed pretty marked eye bags, too.

Mentally cursing himself, he decided he couldn't just leave her there.

«Since when are you around, Anzu? Did you eat anything today?»

«No, I… I didn't think about eating» she answered unsure. She was so caught in Yugi's research and in trying to grasp the huge city she'd found herseld in, eating had been the last of his thoughts.

It was weird but she didn't even feel hunger. It was like having a knot on the stomach's access. «I don't think I even could eat» she added.

When that guy stopped to talk to her, the first friendly person of the day, she had felt relief. She'd felt reassured, and instinctively she'd hoped he wouldn't leave her.

She was tired, she'd gone around for hours. She hadn't gain anything if not for unkind or, at best, perplexed answers. It seemed no one had time to spare her.

Then he'd appeared and gifted her a flower.

Anzu sighed. What was she hoping? He was a kind guy, alright. But he couldn't help her.

She had to go on. Surely the fact it was already dark wasn't helping. _I wish Yugi and Atem were here_ … She shook her head firmly, sending away those thoughts. This time they were the ones in need of her help, and she'd do whatever she could. She couldn't afford to waste time.

«…hear me?»

The boy's voice brought her back to reality. She blushed. She'd been lost in her thoughts and she'd totally ignored him. «I'm sorry», she whispered. «I stole enough of your time. Just go, don't worry», she fostered him.

Kaito looked up and scratched his head. «You must dislike me», he said. «I offered to come with me to eat something and tell me about your situation so that I can help you, if your answer is chasing me away though…»

Anzu couldn't believe her ears. Was he really offering his help? Could she accept it?

«I don't even know your name».

She didn't know what to say, so she just said the first thing that came to her mind.

Kaito couldn't restrain his laugh.

He hadn't noticed, but he'd pile up a lot of stress during the whole day. To release it like this felt good.

«Kaito Kuroba, at your service» he introduced himself with an half bow. «Now though I'd hurry you to make a decision. I should be searching someone, too».

Still a bit incredulous, Anzu nodded and followed the guy around Tokyo's - to her unknown - streets.

 _«No…»_

 _A bullet sticked to the floor, less than a centimeter away from Yugi's head. The worst thing was the cold glare of the boy who'd pull the trigger._

 _Yugi hadn't_ ever _seen a_ _glare so purely cruel, not even on Bakura. That blonde man seemed seriously willing of killing him, the high-schooler found himself wondering about when it'd happen. He was scared. He didn't want to die that way, without even knowing what state his friends – Atem specially_ – _were in. He had to do something… but what?_

 _The black dressed assassin raised the gun again._

 _«Don't make me waste more time, brat. Tell me where is the puzzle or die, I'll find it anyway»._

 _This time he was aiming straight at his front. Yugi noticed himself trembling. Would it really end this way? He'd be killed by a psychopath being unable to react?_

 _He swallowed some saliva._

 _Those could have been his last moments, but he surely wouldn't betray his friends._

 _He fixed his eyes on the gun's mouth in religious silence._

«It's not nice to make fun of others», Shinichi groaned. «Even more if they're kids».

Atem had just finished telling him _how_ he'd end up there, not leaving out anything. Not even being a Pharaoh who lived thousands of years before.

The kid had skeptically listened to him, assuming a fed-up expression when he'd finished. It was obvious he didn't believe a word.

«I'm not the one lying, here» Atem simply replied. «A thief casually heard a suspicious man ordering to find me, alright. I can take that. But why would he call you?» he stopped and significantly glared to Conan. «I sensed something strange in you straightaway. I wasn't sure, now I am though. You're not a kid at all».

Shinichi winced. That wasn't a question, that strange guy had said that firmly. How was that possible? He'd find out his secret in some minutes, while Ran – who'd known him since forever – would be tricked for months.

That wasn't the only weird thing. The boy's story was pretty immaginative, patently made up – magic doesn't exist, Shinichi hadn't a doubt on that –, but he seemed sincere. He didn't show any uncertainty while he was talking. One of the young detective's prides was he could tell when someone was lying. He could uncover many assassins with that skill, even before understanding what their trick was. But his talent wasn't working with that guy. He was either a seriously good liar, either totally crazy. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

«Do not make that shocked expression, Kudo»

Shinichi shook. Haibara had entered the room – how long'd she been there? He couldn't say. He'd been focused on the stranger guy.

Shiho went on. «Speaking from a purely scientific point of view, the existence of alternative dimensions is extremely probable. Why should the universe be just one? There are infinite possibilities. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some that diversifies from ours just in little details – magic, for example».

Shinichi gave her a skeptic glare. «Magic is a very small detail, in fact…» he observed.

Atem gave the little scientist a curious look. Her aura was alike Conan's, probably she wasn't a kid either. _Not just probably, thinking it better. I've never seen a child so firmly speaking about the scientific probability of endless universes' existence…_

Conan neared Ai to not have the other guy listening. «You mean you actually believe him?»

Shiho half-closed her eyes, then carefully chose her words.

«Other universes existing, it's extremely probable. Being able to cross them, much less» she said. «Surely it's easier imagining to do it with magic rather than science… But I don't know enough about that to judge». She felt on herself the Pharaoh's glare, she didn't blink though, nay, she started glaring at him. If his story were to be true, he could have been an extremely interesting study subject.

«Someone's there» Atem announced all of a sudden.

Conan cross-eyed him. Now he'd try convincing him ghosts exist, too?

Right that moment, the doorbell ringed.

Shiho didn't answer her surprise, Shinichi wasn't sure how to react. Hou could've he known? Atem was sitting on the sofa with the door behind him, he couldn't have seen anyone coming.

What was his trick?

It had to be a trick. If it wasn't – if it were to be _magic_ – all of his beliefs would come into question. The highschool detective couldn't even think about that.

Keeping on studying every possibility – once he'd rejected the most absurd ones he'd find the truth, no matter how unlikely it was; Sherlock Holmes taught him that – he reached the door.

"Someone", however, didn't say a thing about who it was.

He hesitated right before opening the door. Could it be the Organization's men..?

Could it be they had tracked him? If that was it, the doctor was in danger.

It didn't seem like a likely theory, though…

A lump in his throat, Conan opened the door.

In front of him there was a boy he didn't know. He looked at him better. He did seem familiar…

«Shinichi?!»

Doctor Agasa's shocked voice – he had suddenly neared the door – surprised him.

Now he knew why he'd feel familiar: he was absurdly alike his real identity, Kudo Shinichi.

The child's eyes widened in understanding.

 _Could he be…_

The unknown on the door showed him a 32-teeth smile. «You seem well-off, detective~»

 _«I… don't know…»_

The boy's intern struggle was patent, but he couldn't really do anything against the pentothal. Not that he had so useful informations, anyway.

If Gin would've still been inside the room he'd shot the boy for sure; luckily Vermouth would send him away before injecting the truth serum.

She studied, unsure, the struggling face of their victim, Yugi Muto. She was the only one among the Organization's members to know his real identuty, the only one the boss would tell about the other dimensions.

Basing on what she knew, Yugi and the Pharaoh, who was their real target in the end, shared the same body. Catching one should have meant catching the other as well. When she had find him though, the boy didn't have the Millennium Puzzle, the object that'd allow their souls to come in contact, on himself. At first she had thought that changing dimensions had lead to it shape switching or something like that, but during Gin's interrogation the millenary spirit hadn't shown himself in any way. Where could he be then? Vermouth didn't know what to think anymore.

She decided it wasn't on her to draw conclusions; she had the informations now, she just had to report to the boss. Deciding their next move was on him.

Her glare fixed onto the boy now unconscious, she considered Yugi could be more useful alive than dead; leaving she locked the door, more in defense of the hostage from her own psychopath colleagues than .for a real fear of him escaping.


	4. Reunion

_I'm in the house of a stranger who says he wants to help me._

 _I'm using his computer and it seems this world doesn't have Domino City, nor even Duel Monsters._

Anzu was unsure about which part was the most surreal.

Since when she had known "the other Yugi" she'd lived experiences pretty far from ordinary, she should've been used to it.

Yet as long as they were souls trapped in a camera or people possessed by an evil spirit, if someone explained it to her, she could understand. This time there wasn't anyone to explain anything.

Since she'd seen Yugi being swallowed by a creepy-looking purplish vortex and, without thinking farther, she'd run after him trying to catch him, she had been faced with a lot of questions and no answer. She'd thought she had travelled time, then rejected that theory after a quick check.

Then, Kaito. He was a kind guy, at least he seemed so. Something in him made her trust him, yet some negative experiences with Bakura e Marik had, unwillingly, made her prepared to suspect, even against her own instinct.

She got suspicious knowing Kaito was searching for Yugi, too (or for someone with his same looks, though the chances of a sosia were laughable).

Either she'd been so lucky to find an ally (Anzu really wanted to believe that), or she'd met one of the Pharaoh's enemies. If not else, that last chance would mean they hadn't found him yet.

Her eyes went back to the PC and she sighed. She definitely had to solve her doubts on Kaito. He had gone out soon after turning the computer on.

He'd even prepared her a toast, to be fair, she hadn't touched it though. One reason was that, for all she could know, he could've put a sleeping pill in it, but it was mostly because, despite she was fasting since the previous evening, she wasn't a tiny bit hungry. She had nausea just thinking about eating.

She'd spent half an hour to search about her world's news (uselessly) and about Tokyo, the strange city she'd happened to be in. Now she typed, feeling a bit uneasy, one name: Kuroba Kaito. /

«I believe him».

«Your opinion doesn't matter, crazy thief!» Shinichi immediately countered, irritatingly glaring at both the last arrived and the alleged Pharaoh.

He'd already been betrayed by Haibara, a conjurer pronouncing himself about the existence of magic was the last thing he needed.

Kaito's answer was a smile. «How do you explain this situation then, tantei-san? His story unfolds everything. How could the raven-man appear from nothing, why there are two guys who speak japanese with a pretty curious accent around Tokyo and why they seem so lost». (Atem, hearing that, raised an eye-brow). The thief paused and went on. «Putting all that aside, anyway, I already knew magic existed. And I'm not speaking about mine» he said, thinking about Akako, the creepy witch who attended his same class. The idea of contacting her didn't make him happy, yet maybe she could tell them something more about other dimensions.

The shrunken seventeen years old guy shook his head in deep denial.

Checking every possibility, he'd ended up rejecting them all. A very small part of his brain was starting to consider the chance that the scientist's theory was correct, though he denied the possibility with all the rest of himself. He was in a crisis.

He'd felt something similar just one time a football player he seriously admired had committed murder, even if everything hinted at him, irrationality had tamed him and he'd appeal to pretty improbable theories, theories worthy of Kogoro.

This time though it wasn't about feelings.

Magic was against _his every belief_. It was an explanation someone like Misao Yamamura, the uncapable detective of Gunma, could accept. Not him.

« _Two_ _?_ »

Atem's voice stopped his thoughts' course. He was talking to Kaito. «You said _two_ guys? Did you met someone else like me?» he insisted, standing up. It appeared he couldn't stay still after that revelation.

Another umprobable theory came to the highschool detective's mind. Maybe that guy was an Organization's agent? Maybe they suspected him and used Atem to make him give out his cover.

It took seconds to reject that thought too, he shook his head disconsolate. A strategy this elaborated didn't make any sense, if they'd had suspects on him they'd take him without double thoughts – plus Haibara seemed at ease. She didn't trust the stranger completely, yet she wasn't in deep terror as when in presence of someone of _them_.

«Yes, two» Kaito confirmed. «Before coming here I met a girl who speaks exactly like you. Her name's Anzu». The boy's reaction confirmed his view of the situation. Now he just had to convince the little, wary detective to collaborate. It appeared he had some serious difficulties accepting all those news.

Meanwhile, relief had appeared on the Pharaoh's face. «Where is she now?»

«She's safe at my house. She wandered all day long to find you, she needed a bit of rest but wouldn't hear of it. To convince her to stop I offered her to use my pc to gather informations».

Atem nodded. At least Anzu was safe. He had a bad feeling about Yugi, though.

«You said everything unfolds, but it doesn't. I don't know why I was separated from my friend. I shouldn't even have a body, actually».

Shinichi had had enough of all that _rubbish_. Everything that foreign guy said was as absurd as his hair, completely illogical.

« _Stop that_ » he ordered, not able to hold it any longer. He looked towards Atem. «Enough with that baloney. Tell me how'd you know _he_ was coming». He cross-eyed Kaito. «Did you two make previous arrangements? Was there an agreed hour? How-»

Kaito stopped him putting an hand on his shoulder. «Easy, tantei-san, easy. I know it seems absurd, yet you can't close your eyes. What are you talking about, anyway?»

Atem didn't bat an eye hearing the fake kid's accusations. He saw he was clearly conflicted, even if he didn't totally see why, but he couldn't really afford to care.

«I felt his arrival. I see you don't believe me, but I can't afford to waste any more time» he explained briefly. He turned to Kaito. «Take me to Anzu, please». He'd want to immediately go to Yugi, but he had no idea where he was. He was hoping his friend had found something.

The moonlight thief glared to Conan, still clearly conflicted, then to Atem again. He nodded. «It's better if you stay here, though. I'll go taking her» he said.

On the house's door, he hesitated for a moment. «Tantei-san, please clear your mind as I'm out. We'll need your brain too». /

Anzu took her head in her hands, it hurt. She'd got too many news, too fast. She closed internet and lied on the bed for a second.

For a second… according to her will.

She woke up a couple hours later. She barely sttod up, her head feeling heavy. She rubbed her eyes to wake up completely. She risked a stroke, seeing Kaito in front of her.

He sat on a chair, his arms lying on the backrest, watching her with curiosity.

«Did you sleep well, princess?»

«…what time is it?» she whispered, still a bit dazzled.

She'd thought to be in her room for a moment… then reality struck her with evidence.

He gave her an envelope. «I see you didn't touch the toast. Do you want me to taste it, so you'll see it's not poisoned?» he offered.

She was going to say she wasn't hungry, but he stopped her with a nod.

«You should eat, we must go somewhere. There's a surprise» he said smiling.

«A surprise..?»

«I'll explain while we walk», was Kaito's only answer. Then he took her arm and brought her outside. /

«If I'd understood correctly, your soul is trapped in that… _puzzle_ , right? A magic object of your world».

«I guess you can put it this way», Atem answered. Millennium Objects' history was a tad more complicated than that, though that wasn't the time to talk about it.

Since the other guy - Kaito - had gone off, the little scientist had reached him. She'd given him something to eat and made him some questions.

The other "kid", on the other hand, had stayed away.

Ai's facial expression changed. «It could be…» she murmured.

Atem gave her a curious look. He said nothing, silently inviting her to go on.

Even Conan came out of his trance and got closer to listen to his friend's deduction.

«It could be», Ai repeated, now a little higher, «that your puzzle doesn't get a shape in our world. It's a magic object after all, and like a certain someone teaches us, magic doesn't exist here» she paused there, glaring at Conan.

He glared back at her, confused. He didn't see her point.

The Pharaoh, on the contrary, got it. «You mean…»

Ai nodded. «The object that traps you got no shape, you soul does though. The puzzle… you could be it yourself», she said, with the same expression of a zoologist faced with an endangered species.

«That makes sense», Atem said, studying his own hands. That explained how he could have a body even if parted from Yugi, too.

«I doubt that», Conan commented. He got closer to the alleged Pharaoh.

«I don't know if I can believe you», he said. «Yet I know the Organization is looking for you, whatever their motive is. No matter how I look at it, we should join our forces». His upset expression said the contrary, yet Atem appreciated his effort.

«Will you help me finding Yugi?»

Shinichi took a deep breath, then nodded. He sat on the desk and switched the PC on. _There must be some kind of trace, if there really is someone like him around… perhaps they're twins_.

Shiho turned her eyes on the ceiling. It'd be really hard to make Kudo change his mind.

She sat on the sofa and switched the tv on. Maybe there would've been some interesting news. /

«It's here!»

Anzu stopped for a moment to recover her breath and looked at the house in front of her.

Was Atem really there..?

She hadn't found out much on Kaito, except for his father's death eight years before that. It was enough to her; maybe she was being reckless, yet she'd decided to trust him.

That didn't look like a trap, anyway.

She reached the guy in front of the door, eager to see her friend.

 **«You can't stop me from going!»**

 **«It's clearly a trap! _I_ am going!»**

 **«No way!»**

Kaito couldn't even open the door that Conan and Atem's voices reached the two outside.

Anzu's heart skipped a beat, recognizing Atem's voice. No doubts anymore: it was him.

She entered while a little girl – she noticed, astonished – started saying:

«Calm down, both of you. You can't simply rush there without a plan, _none_ of you» she said, cross-eyeing the other kid inside the room. Anzu realized the voice arguing with Atem before was his.

Atem shook his head no. «It's something I have to do anyway», he said.

Just then he noticed Anzu, a smile's shadow appeared on his face. «You're safe».

She reached him; they and the kids formed a kind of a circle. Kaito walked himself into the center of it.

«Did we miss something?» he asked, tense yet excited at the same time.

Maybe the time to face his father's murderers had finally arrived.


End file.
